In this post, you will learn 15 ways that will help you avoid getting this particularly nasty flu bug. Some are common sense, some are backed by science, and some are holistic. Hey, every little bit helps, right?

But here is the thing – anything can make you sick. The flu is bad – don’t get me wrong, but stress can make you sick. Anxiety can make you sick. Do not get so paranoid that you become a hermit in a super sterile room – because even then, the anxiety of you getting sick will make you sick!

The big thing with this is that even though t his is a particularly scary year, just use common sense and it will all be fine.

1. Avoid Getting the Flu by Getting The Flu Shot

I don’t care what anyone says, this is common sense 101. I get that this years flu shot (2018) haven’t been as effective as past years flu. But it can reduce your chances of getting the flu, and it can also reduce the symptoms of the flu and the duration of the flu.

This year, they are looking at the flu spreading until May. There is still time to get the flu shot!

Don’t give excuses about whatever reason you don’t want to get it. I generally choose to be more holistic myself, but when it comes to my health, I have to err on the side of science. The flu shot is your first line of defense. Just get the damn shot. It’s quick, it’s painless, and if you get the flu, it’s less likely to put you in the hospital.

The CDC explains the way the flu shots work, “Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine.”

Now, it may seem silly to get a flu shot over something that the news has screamed is ineffective. Remember this: The news is paid to make you panic and be afraid. Science doesn’t play on fear. Look at it this way – even if the flu shot is only 10% effective – that’s still removing the chance of getting flu by 10%.

Improve your odds, boo!

I promise you, there is no government conspiracy to harm you. The only thing we want is for you to be healthy and stay around. K? K.

2. Avoid Getting the Flu by Washing Your Hands

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times. WASH THY HANDS

When you go to the bathroom, wash your hands. When you open a door, wash your hands. Turn on the lights using a light switch? Wash your hands.

Seriously, always wash your hands. Get yourself some soap, wash your hands for 20 seconds. To make it not so boring, sing a few bars from Sia or Lady Gaga’s latest hit.

This is the easiest line of defense because your hands can accidently touch your face, and pick up the virus.

If you don’t have one – it’s ok. Use hand sanitizer. Like alcohol based hand sanitizer. Not the essential oils one (sorry folks, I love my thieves as much as the next person, but you gotta use alcohol based hand sanitizer to kill the flu bug. It’s just how it is.)

Because that one time, you don’t wash your hands, the moment you touch your face, your nose and mouth are places that are easily invaded by the flu.

So to avoid just inviting the flu into your body, just keep your hands as far away from your face as possible.

4. Avoid Getting the Flu by Cleaning ALL The Communal Surfaces

Again, use something alcohol based. You can use Lysol, you can use Clorox, you can use whatever. Seriously, just take a cloth covered in Lysol or Clorox and wipe down counters, light switches, the remotes, fridge handles, phone chargers, countertops, door handles, sink faucets, and all the things that more than one person touch in a day.

Clean it once a day, or you can do what I do and clean it every morning, and every night to avoid getting the flu.

It isn’t as hard and it doesn’t take as long as you think it might. It will literally take only five minutes of your day – and it’s so easy to do!

5. Avoid Getting the Flu by Making People Throw Their OWN tissues away.

I get it. Especially if you love to be clean and tidy, and someone – like a kid – leaves behind a tissue. (Ewwww.) Do yourself a favor, just hand them a garbage can, or politely smile and tell them where the garbage can is.

See, the issue is that whole hand to mouth thing. I get it, you think it’s ok to clean up someone’s snot rag, but in reality – it’s gross. And they might have the flu, and you might get it.

6. Avoid Getting the Flu by Standing FAR away.

If someone sneezes and you’re right up next to them, guess what? You might get the flu!

You cannot accurately determine if someone has just a tickle in their throat or not, but it’s always good to avoid getting into someone’s space anyway. Just stand a respectable 3 feet away and you’ll be fine.

7. Avoid Getting the Flu by Putting Your Toothbrush Somewhere Hidden.

Ok, think about it. Your toothbrush is in the toothbrush holder, and your kid comes in. He has the flu, and he accidently sneezes while he’s in the bathroom.

The flu particles go all over the air, and some might land right on your toothbrush.

Then, you go in and your brush your teeth. You just infected yourself. No no no no no.

Let’s not do that. Just store your toothbrush out of the way, and you’ll be fine.

8. Avoid Getting the Flu by Not Sharing Your Food

I have a bad habit of this. I will share my food with my best friend, my family members, and so forth. But, here’s the problem. If you’re enjoying a super duper yummy pizza with your friend, or your eating nachos at the local Mexican restaurant (Shoutout La Parilla!) and your BFF is getting the onset of the flu… you might be putting some of the flu inside you.

Which isn’t good.

It’s hard, I know. If you must share your food – split it down the middle and eat it on separate plates.

9. Avoid Getting the Flu by Getting Your Full 8-hours of sleep.

Sleep is your bodies chance to recover from a hard day. It’s like restocking the shelves at the local super market. While your sleeping, your body is taking the energy you stored in your body and putting it to good work, rebuilding your immune system, helping you to function better, and generally making you feel better.

10. Avoid Getting the Flu by Diffusing Essential Oils

This is not FDA approved, but you know, like I said, every little bit helps. Diffusing an essential oil like THIEVES from Young Living certainly can’t hurt.

We’ve all heard the story a billion times, but let me tell you about it again. Back during the Black Plague, you had a bunch of grave robbers that would go and steal stuff from the dead. They used a certain blend of Essential oils to keep themselves from getting sick.

But, it helps to diffuse this throughout the air to kind of help keep your immunity up.

I think they have a whole Thieves line – where they have laundry detergent, handwash, and so forth.

But, I prefer to diffuse it, and I’m not entirely convinced that it will actually kill the flu bug – they say there are studies on it and so forth – but again, I am a science follower at heart, and alcohol and Clorox are my go to’s. But, you know what? If you want to use the cleaning products between the alcohol and Clorox, go for it!

11. Avoid Getting the Flu by Not Wasting Money On Cold Eeze and Over the Counter Medicine

There are so many reasons why I could give you to not just waste money on it. The main one is that Cold-Eeze or other such things are for the common cold. Not the flu. We are talking about two different things here.

Additionally, if you are taking any prescription medicine, you don’t want to mix things that might interact adversely with your medicine. You will wind up in the hospital for things worse than the flu.

The easiest way to deal with this is to just talk to your local pharmacist. See what he or she recommends and use that. They do free consultations, and it’s just easier, okay?

12. Avoid Getting The Flu By Drinking Water

Water helps you flush out all the icky toxins in your body. It also helps boost your immune system, and it helps you stay hydrated. Additionally, it helps out because drinking water helps keep the lining of the nose moist.

According to the Daily Mail: “’This acts like a sticky flypaper to trap things like dust, dirt and bacteria and prevent them getting to the lungs. If you are dehydrated, the mucous membrane will dry out. When this happens, it is half as effective.”

13. Avoid Getting the Flu by Getting Vitamin C

I know, it seems contradictory compared to the above, right? Well, don’t be too alarmed. You’re not wasting money unnecessarily. This is just drinking some orange juice in the morning. Vitamin C helps your immune system, and we could all use a bit of that!

14. Avoid Getting the Flu by Getting A full dose of Antioxidants

First and foremost: This is not sponsored in anyway. A few years ago, I was really sick, and this was before essential oils. There is this brand called Nuwati Herbs that helped me big time last year.

Last year, I lived in Charleston, and I got really sick. It was that crud that is somewhere between the flu and a cold, but it lasted like a month. Well, I was away from my home pharmacy, and I was so sick. I ordered some of the Nuwati Herb teas (I had been introduced to them a few years ago) and made some.

I started feeling better the next day. My skin looked brighter, and by the end of the week, I felt a million times better. But if i missed a day of drinking it, I felt it. So, this is one of those things that you have to upkeep (or at least for me.)

These are bulk herbs, and they taste great.

You have to diffuse them, but it’s worth it. My favorite is the Nuwati Herbals The Warrior Tea. It helps with getting antioxidants in your body through actual dried herbs. It’s not some prepackaged deal. The guy who makes them is incredibly knowledgeable.

He also has the Healer Tea, and that stuff is really good if you don’t feel really well, and maybe getting the onset of the flu.

But, again, before you take them, let your medical health expert look over it and give the final thumbs up.